Barley Free Fennel-Orange Salad
Bright, refreshing, and built entirely from whole, naturally grain-free ingredients, this salad is a showstopper that comes together with nothing more than fresh produce, good olive oil, and a little knife work. Shaving the fennel thin and soaking it in ice water is the secret to getting those delicate, curling slices that are crisp rather than fibrous — a small step that makes a big textural difference. Juicy navel orange segments bring sweetness and acidity, while buttery Castelvetrano olives add a briny, savory counterpoint that keeps every bite interesting. The citrus dressing — whisked together with lemon juice, honey, and a pinch of red pepper flakes — ties everything together with a gentle heat and a bright, tangy finish. Because every single component here is a whole food with no hidden grains or grain-derived additives, it's a genuinely worry-free choice for anyone navigating a barley-free lifestyle without wanting to sacrifice flavor or elegance. Finished with torn parsley, wispy fennel fronds, and optional shaved Parmesan, it's the kind of salad that looks like it came from a restaurant but takes almost no time to assemble. Serve it immediately so the fennel stays crisp and the oranges stay vibrant.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, fronds reserved
- 3 medium navel oranges
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly torn
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice (from one of the segmented oranges)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fennel fronds, roughly torn (optional)
- 1 oz shaved parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Trim the fennel bulbs: cut off the stalks and any tough outer layers, then halve each bulb through the root. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, shave the fennel crosswise into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Place in a large bowl of ice water and let stand for 10 minutes, until the slices curl slightly and crisp up. Drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- 2
Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut the top and bottom off each orange, then stand each orange upright and slice away the peel and white pith from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Hold the peeled orange over the bowl and cut between the membranes to release the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze the spent membranes over the bowl to extract the juice, then measure out 2 tbsp of the juice for the dressing.
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